A Game of Chi Book III: A Sword of Dust

Chapter 33: Worriz II

WORRIZ

The wind was howling as Worriz, Skinnet, Lavertus and Bulkar slowly made their way up the Barrier. The ascent so far hadn't been easy, and every time the wind picked up, Worriz feared they would be blown off the wall. With a grunt, he dislodged his right hand's hooks and moved them further up, making sure to dig them into the ice. Bulkar, attached to Worriz with a rope, was further down; they had decided to put the more experienced climbers below so that they could more easily help Worriz or Skinnet if they fell. Skinnet and Lavertus were making slower progress, but they weren't far behind. "How much further?" Worriz howled over the wind. He looked down at Bulkar, and took in how high they really were. The ground seemed an eternity away, and Worriz suddenly felt a bit light-headed. "Don't look down, Worriz!" Bulkar shouted back. "It'll do you no good!" Worriz nodded and kept climbing, painstakingly lodging and dislodging his hooks. "I'd say we're about halfway to the top!" Lavertus called from below them. "Keep at it! The second half always feels shorter!"

"I hope so!" Skinnet shouted. "It's freezing up here!" A sudden gust of wind slammed into the four climbers without warning. "Anchor down!" Lavertus roared. Worriz quickly stabbed both of his hands into the Barrier and pressed his body against it, hoping to minimize the wind's effects on him. After a moment, the gust passed, and they resumed their climbing.

Deciding to keep himself occupied during the ascent, Worriz thought about what he would do once they reached the top. The plan is all well and good, he thought, but can I really do it? Can I fight my way to Wilhurt? What if Wonald stands in my way? Or Windra? Can I really face them? In truth, Worriz wasn't even sure if he could kill Wilhurt. While his former Beta Wolf had betrayed and killed him, they had still been friends; Worriz had known the black wolf all his life. And Wilhurt wasn't totally wrong, either. He did what he thought was right to protect his people. Can I really fault him for that? Worriz glanced at those climbing below him, doing his best to avoid looking at the distant ground. They're all victims of our war here in the north, he realized. This endless animosity between the bears and wolves caused this conflict, and we need to resolve it before the Ice Hunters come. If Wilhurt and the others won't come around, I may not have a choice. Taking a deep breath, Worriz plunged his left hand and its hooks into the ice. He marvelled at the sensation of warmth as he did this, still unused to not feeling cold. It's so strange to think that I've been resurrected, he thought. This Goldfire in my chest brought me back, and it's keeping me relatively warm, but the idea of being dead is still so... unsettling to me.

No matter how hard he tried, Worriz couldn't recall if he had experienced anything while he had been gone, so any questions regarding the afterlife or the existence of the Gods of Cavora were still unanswered. Deep in thought, Worriz didn't process the force of another gust of wind, and by the time he heard Lavertus' warning, it was too late. In the process of creating another groove with his hooks, Worriz was hit by the wind and lost his footing. With a yelp, he fell down, past Bulkar. "Help!" he shouted. "Shit!" Bulkar roared. The force of Worriz falling pulled Bulkar down too, his hooks creating cracks in the ice. "Sit tight until the wind stops!" Lavertus hollered. "You can't help Worriz right now!" With a jolt of pain, Worriz' fall was broken, as Bulkar remained relatively anchored. He could feel the rope biting into his stomach through his tunic, but he tried to remain still, knowing any movement could doom Bulkar as well. After what seemed like hours, the wind subsided and Worriz was motionless enough to plant his hooks back into the Barrier. "Sorry about that," he said, breathing heavily. "I was distracted. It won't happen again."

"It'd better not," Bulkar retorted, a wry smile on his face. "We didn't resurrect you just so you could fall to your death." Exhaling a chuckle, Worriz returned to climbing, soon ascending past Bulkar, who waited for the wolf to go above him. I can't let my guard down like that again, Worriz thought, berating himself. Not when everyone's depending on me.